


Just a Dream

by nezumechan



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Church Route, F/M, silver snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:22:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24904519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nezumechan/pseuds/nezumechan
Summary: Silver Snow (church route) [A dramatized retelling of the in-game cut scene.  romantic-tragedy ]After the battle in Gronder Field, Seteth, Flayn and Byleth hear news that each of the three house leaders has suffered great casualities and Byleth is shocked to hear what has happened to Dimitri.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth, My Unit | Byleth/Seteth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Just a Dream

“Professor, we need to come up with our next plan of attack. The other forces are still at large.” Seteth explained to Byleth. “I whole-heartedly agree professor!” Flayn exclaimed. 

The three had crossed the bridge from the cathedral and through the large wooden doors of the reception hall. The hour at hand was becoming late and the students had already begun to head towards their dormitories. The reception hall was virtually empty. 

Seteth’s voice echoed off the walls. “With the right strategy, perhaps we can somehow weaken their forces though use of special tactics” he waived his hands.

With a brown leather notebook and thin white quill in hand, Byleth nodded her head and scribbled a few notes onto her paper. Flayn tried to peek over at the notebook, but Byleth’s handwriting appeared too small to make out. 

The loud crash of the reception halls’ grand doors swinging open shook Byleth’s quill. The three turned around behind them to find a church soldier with dents in his silver-plated armor racing towards them out of breath.

“Emergency!” He panted. “In Gronder Field… There’s a… It’s…” He gasped placing both hands on his knees. Seteth frowned at him. Byleth retained her emotionless stare. Flayn had a curious look upon her face.

“Can’t you see we’re in the middle of a military conference? Please calm down and tell us what’s the matter.” Seteth spoke sternly. The Soldier straightened his posture remembering his place and inhaled deeply, re-composing himself.

“Yes sir.” He bowed. “A battle has just occurred on Gronder Field where the Kingdom and the Alliance armies clashed with Imperial forces.” 

Byleth sucked in her breath. She was quite fond of the former house leaders despite having chosen the church over them and recalled how 5 years prior she once stood proudly at Edelgard’s side in a victorious mock battle against the other houses. To think that they would all gather again for the wrong reasons of war. 

“Amid the chaos of the three armies battling each other, the Imperial army was routed.” The Soldier continued. “Edelgard was heavily wounded and retreated to Enbar.” 

Byleth stood motionless. A part of her was happy that Edelgard was still alive. But they were at war with each other. And what of Dimitri and Claude?

Seteth raised his eyebrows. “Well that’s surely good news.” 

“Sir, The Kingdom army was also decimated and…” he paused. “His highness Dimitri has been counted among the dead.” 

Byleths’ quill snapped in half. Had she a heartbeat it surely would have stopped. 

“The alliance sustained heavy casualties as well and the whereabouts of Claude are unknown.” The soldier finished.

“Unknown?” Seteth questioned. 

Byleth took a step back. Somehow, she had known that this was going to be their eventual fate. Afterall, they were at war. It was a lot of information to process. Edelgard who once looked up to her as a mentor was injured. Dimitri, the most caring, humble man she had met had his innocence stripped away and was now dead. Claude, the boy who always had a smile on his face was missing altogether. 

Despite knowing that all her students had suffered, the spattered ink that stained her hand told a different story. 

“Dimitri is dead” Byleth whispered. She shook her head in frustration. Flayn picked up the other half of the quill that lay on the floor and gently placed it on Byleth’s notebook.

Seteth glanced at Byleth and then turned to the informant, “It must have been a brutal fight. Thank you soldier, you may take your leave now.” The church soldier saluted and headed out the hallway he had entered taking care not to slam the heavy wooden doors again.

Once he was gone completely, Byleth pulled out a handerchief and attempted to rub away the ink on her hand careful not to stain the paper. 

Seteth turned to Byelth. “Quite unexpected news. Our only solace is that Edelgard sustained severe injuries.” Byleth nodded her head in agreement.

“We must find a way to use this situation to our advantage seeing as how the Empire’s main force has suffered heavily, Edelgard will most certainly avoid the front lines. Now is the time to infiltrate the Empire and aim for the capital.” Seteth raised his fist. 

Byleth agreed with him. Now would be the perfect time to march while the enemy was week. Flayn however did not look so eager. She bowed her head.

“But… what will happen to the lords of the old Kingdom and Alliance territories?” she asked.

“Flayn.” Seteh said placing a hand on her shoulder. “They have lost many leaders and soldiers like us and I am sure they are hard at work rebuilding. We will aid them through the local churches. The remaining lords must join together to form one union”. He let go and faced Byleth once more.

“You should be the one to lead them, Professor Byleth.” 

“In Time...” Byleth answered looking away from Seteth. She closed her notebook gently trapping the feather of her quill.

Seteth took the hint. “Indeed, that’s a question for another day. What next step should we take?”

“Let’s decide where to invade first” Byleth recommended. 

“Fort Merceus. It is a massive fortress that boats the greatest defenses in the empire. Should that fall, we would be at a great advantage. We must gather everyone to devise a plan of attack.” 

Byleth and Flayn agreed.

Seteth Bowed. “Well professor, I bid you a good night.” Byleth nodded. “Thank you Seteth. Flayn.” 

Together, Seteth and Flayn headed north and Byleth began to move in the other direction.  
She had intended to go back to her bedroom, but the news of her former students’ tragedies had shaken her to the core. She needed to go for a walk. 

\--

The sun was completely gone in Garreg Mach and dark clouds loomed overhead. With the broken half of her quill, Byleth had written down everything she could about what might have happened at Gronder Field. Who attacked first? Did Edelgard use the same strategy as she did during the mock battle? Where could Claude have run off to? How did Dimitri meet his untimely death and who was the one to end it? 

Byleth rubbed her eyes. So many unanswered questions that meant nothing. It was all in the past. The moon peeked through the clouds and shone brightly overhead. Byleth plopped down next to a large tree. She was not sure how long she had been walking for. She wasn’t even sure where she was. The weathered down buildings seemed familiar though. It must be the outer city wall. 

Byleth yawned. What a long day. Her head nodded once when she heard a branch snap behind her. On instinct, she leaped up whipping out her sword and prepared to attack. 

“It has been a lifetime… Hasn’t it, Professor?” 

Byelth dropped her weapon to the ground in shock. She held a jaw dropped expression and felt a tear leave her eye. 

“I thought you were dead.” She whispered to him shaking her head.

The blonde man whom she had once thought she could love looked back at her with pain in his face. His black and white coat was now spotted with red and his eyes were heavy and appeared as if he had not slept in weeks. There were scratches everywhere along his armor and time had been not been kind to him. 

“Yes.. I thought so too.” Dimitri responded cooly.

Byelth slowly approached Dimitri. She raised her hand and placed it against his once innocent face. Dimitri moved his hand over hers and leaned into the touch. 

“I’ve missed you.” Byleth sighed. 

“As have I, Professor.” He smiled weakly at her. 

They gazed at each other for a moment more. 

“What happened to you?” Byleth croaked. It wasn’t like her to feel such emotion or even pain. She hadn’t felt this way since she held her father in her arms and watched him take his final breath. 

Dimitri closed his eye. “I wanted to slice her throat… but I didn’t get the chance to. I…. I let people die. And yet, I still stand.” 

Dimitri carefully removed her ink stained hand from his face and pulled her into a warm embrace. Byelth rested her head on Dimitri’s battle worn chest and he squeezed her tightly.

“I lost everyone.” His voice shook. 

Byleth remained silent, her arms wrapped around Dimitri. It was as if time was standing still. The dark clouds above them began to drip.

“There must be a reason you survived then.” Byleth said, a droplet of water landing on her head.

“You sound just like Rodrigue.” Dimitri half laughed. “A reason…”

Dimitri gently pulled Byleth away by the shoulders. Byleth felt a chill run down her spine as the warmth began to leave her.

“Professor, I came here to explain my decision.” 

Byleth peered at him with a pained expression. The rain was starting to pick up as more droplets began to land their heads. Byleth looked down at her feet and frowned.

“I have no resources to take back my kingdom, much less defeat the Empire.” Dimitri said.  
He lifted Byleths’ chin with his gloved hand so that she could look at him. A smirk began to form on his face. 

“You’d think after all this time I’d be ready, but look at me. Stretching one moment into a thousand just so I can watch the rain.” 

He slowly leaned his face towards Byleth. 

“Dimitri…”, she whispered and closed her eyes.

“Professor! You will catch a cold sleeping in a place like this!”

Byleths’ eyes shot open and she was face-to-face with the green haired Seteth who was leaning down at her level. She touched her wet cheek, damp with tears. She was sitting in the grass leaning against the tree. Her notebook was open on her lap where she had scribbled something in ink with her broken quill.

“Is something the matter?” Seteth asked.

“Where did he go?” Byleth questioned wiping the tears from her face with her ink stained palm. She looked down at her paper. In small letters she had written his name. “Dimitri.”

Seteth extended a hand and helped lift Byleth off the grass. “I’m the only one here. Were you dreaming per chance?” 

Byleth closed her notebook. She folded her arms and held it tightly knowing her face began to redden and looked away. 

Seteth shifted uncomfortably. “I can’t say for certain that you were dreaming, but if someone did come here to see you, then I’m sure that person only wanted you to see their face.”

Seteth took a deep breath. “Perhaps they wanted you to guide them. Will you be okay Professor?”

“I’m fine.” Byleth said, but a stray tear betrayed her. 

Seteth sighed. “I’m not sure which student you are grieving for, but nonetheless if I can be any comfort to you, I shall. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love.” Seteth held his arms open wide for her. 

Byleth slowly walked into them and closed her eyes.

It was raining afterall.

**Author's Note:**

> The church route was my final playthrough so even though I was attached to all of the characters, Dimitri's death hit me the hardest. I probably even cried. But that's what makes this game so good.


End file.
